One Step Closer
by Tsukihara Tarou
Summary: Old friends, new feelings. Yaoi, unbetaed, slightly AU, Naruto/Iruka.


DISCLAIMER: Naruto is a series originally created by Kishimoto Masashi. This is a work of fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended.

* * *

Only strands of gray in his hair, just a few soft wrinkles elegantly framing those big, brown eyes - yes, it was Iruka, no mistake there. A handsome older man, still wearing his chuunin's vest, still keeping that full, dark hair tied up. And the body - as fit as ever, the posture strong and decisive. Well, he was a teacher, after all, and obviously had no intention to wither away too early and thus set a discouraging example for his young pupils.

Naruto leaned on the sidewall of Ichiraku Ramen where he had spent so many memorable moments in the past. The place had been taken over by Ichiraku junior, a serious man in his 20s who resembled his father but who did not recognize the blonde whose hair had been shoulder length for the last couple of years now.

Naruto had taken on his father's hokage style of wearing a long white coat, but the red markings decorating the fabric were his own: a large red spiral dominating the back, the seals that kept the kyuubi at bay repeated on the hem and sleeves. Under the coat everything was black; he had become somewhat attached to the turtle-necked, sleeveless ANBU top that - as all the women he met could tell - enhanced his muscles nicely.

And that was probably the first thing Iruka noticed when he glanced at the younger man standing just meters away as a portion of hot ramen was placed before him.

The very attractive younger man, he had to add to himself.

Couldn't possibly be from the village.

But damn, he looked familiar.

He frowned. The stranger smiled, stepped over to the counter smoothly, took a seat right next to him. Ordered a big bowl of miso pork ramen. And then turned to beam at Iruka again.

"You really don't recognize me, do you, Iruka-sensei?"

Oh gods.

"It can't be... Naruto?"

His former student laughed. The stripes on his cheeks had become significantly less striking - no wonder he didn't quite seem like his old self anymore.

Iruka reached out his hand and touched his onetime protégé's shoulder, then the golden hair and the face that could only be described as exceptional.

"You - you look so much like your father now that you're older," Iruka croaked, bewildered. "How long has it been?"

"Sixteen years. Aren't you happy to see me?" Naruto pouted, then burst into laughter again. "Oh please, don't get a heart attack now that I'm finally here. You look pale, sensei. C'mon, give me a hug."

* * *

They had enjoyed their meals in a relaxed atmosphere, Iruka asking questions about his former student's travels and Naruto sharing some of the highlights of the past few years in his usual vivid way.

However, it soon became obvious to Iruka that certain details were left unsaid, that everyone who came to the shop was thoroughly but discreetly inspected by the blonde, and as they stood up to leave the place, the street outside was also expertly scanned before he was quickly and firmly pulled along by his arm and into an alley nearby.

Once there, the haste turned into an easy stroll again, and Naruto dug his hands into his pockets, eyeing his former teacher until he finally hunched with a sigh and kicked an empty can that was rudely blocking his way. "Alright, I guess you can already tell that I'm not supposed to be here at all."

A shudder of vague fear sprang down Iruka's spine. "What's going on? Are you being chased by someone?"

"Well... sort of. I'm on my way to Suna, you see, and - well, frankly, I'm not too keen on running into anyone other than you from Konoha right now."

"I don't understand - uh - "

Iruka's eyes widened when he was suddenly propelled against a wall, a hand covering his mouth firmly. They were swiftly surrounded by a faint flare of red chakra, and Iruka knew that Naruto had just hidden them both, masking them as someone - or something - was moving in the alley behind them.

The younger man remained calm, his heartbeat steady against his former teacher's chest, and then the situation was over, the blanket of chakra was released, and Naruto pulled back, taking yet another glance around his surroundings before flashing Iruka a radiant smile.

"Where was I? Yes. Well, I'd rather not let Tsunade-baachan know I'm here. Nothing to worry about, I'll tell you more about it later, but - I really cannot stay here more than 24 hours and," Naruto took a deep breath, "I think I need a bath; I've been on the move for days in a row now."

Iruka studied his former pupil's features with care.

He was well aware that the hokage had been searching for Naruto for quite a while - even he had been questioned over the matter once - but he didn't have a clue why. Rumors were running wild in the village, jounins had been overheard discussing the hokage's gradually failing health, someone had said that Tsunade wanted to make Naruto her successor, but for some inexplicable reason, the blonde was now on the run.

Whatever it was that had kept Naruto away from Konoha all these years had to be very important.

And whatever had brought him back tonight...

"Let's be honest - you're really not going to tell me more about it, are you?"

"I'm so sorry, but... no."

Iruka hesitated, but only for a short moment. "Alright."

"Alright?"

"Yes, alright. No more questions. You said you needed a bath?"

Naruto nodded.

"Follow me."

* * *

"I didn't know it was possible to get a private pool here," Naruto said when they were getting undressed in one of the secluded dressing rooms of the Konoha Onsen.

"They've been available for years now."

"You actually come here alone quite often, don't you?" Mesmerized, Naruto watched as the older man let his hair fall down. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen Iruka do that before; the way he wore his hair was an inseparable part of his personality, just like the scar that had dominated his face nearly all his life.

"Yes, I've been coming here a lot lately. The older I get, the more I need some peace and quiet after a day at the Academy." Iruka slipped out of his boxers and wrapped a towel around his waist haphazardly and, avoiding Naruto's open stare, fled into the dim shower room.

He had to admit that he already regretted joining the younger man for the bath. Naruto was no longer a child or a teen, his body had become plain overwhelming and - well, things were not the same between them anymore, and it was stirring something that Iruka had harbored within himself since he was a boy…

…since the first time he'd seen other boys at the onsen, their naked, slender bodies hot and slick from the steamy water…

…_why_ exactly had Naruto come to Konoha tonight and _what_ exactly was going on?

"Should I turn on the lights?" Naruto slid open the large glass doors leading outside, letting in the warmth of the evening that was rapidly turning into a night. The lanterns around the pool had already been lit, their shimmering light reflected by the dark water below.

"No, this is fine." Iruka let the shower flush away the cascading thoughts from his mind. This was not the right time to -

"May I wash your hair?"

He was sure the floor had suddenly started to jitter under his feet. "No, that's not necessary, thank you."

"I wouldn't mind."

A hand reached out and touched his wet tresses, gathering them into a ponytail and pulling him gently backwards before turning off the shower. He objected with a grunt but was determinedly guided to a small wooden stool, and then something mildly scented was lathered into his hair.

"I really hope that's shampoo and not soap," Iruka grumbled, and Naruto replied with a short laughter, his fingers working their way to the older man's scalp and giving it a thorough massage before he rinsed the hair with care. Then he reached for a stool of his own, sat down behind his former teacher and began to wash his back with a cloth.

It felt good; Iruka had to admit it. To be touched by someone. Had Naruto missed that, too?

A man of his looks - no, he'd probably had myriads of lovers over the years, it was simply impossible for someone like him to ever be deprived of physical contact now that he was no longer a shunned demon child.

And yet, the way Naruto took his time, the way he savored his skin, his hands moving slowly down and away from his back and shoulders, over to his arms, over to his - chest and -

Iruka shivered as panic crept up in his stomach, although his fear wasn't strong enough to overcome the other sensation that had already began to grow in his groin.

- no, not here -

- _don't_ -

"Sensei," Naruto said softly, his hands now resting on the older man's hips. "Sensei, turn this way."

The chuunin shook his head, looked down and blushed.

"Please." Naruto rested his forehead on Iruka's shoulder, then raised his hand, pushed aside the mass of brown wet hair and caressed the arch of the older man's neck. Scars here and there, on his back the large reminder of their match with Mizuki; a map of a life that had taken its toll, even though as a teacher, Iruka had managed to avoid most of the hazards that usually colored a shinobi's existence.

Naruto's other hand wandered down to the chuunin's inner thigh, painstakingly trailing the sensitive stretch of skin upwards until it reached the full erection that awaited him there.

Iruka kept his hands firmly on his knees, fingers clenched into fists, and for a brief moment Naruto was convinced that the older man was going to punch him.

But as he let his fingertips fondle and explore that perfect, silky shaft, the chuunin seemed to relax slightly, and Naruto took the opportunity to press his hips against those firm buttocks, his chest plastered against Iruka's back, his own anxious arousal delightfully trapped in between.

"You... We really shouldn't be doing this, I don't want this," Iruka hissed and bit onto his lip when Naruto's hand closed around his impudent cock and began to move.

"I know."

Naruto wasn't sure what he was after. All he needed was to be here, right here, right now, resting against his former teacher and pleasuring him the best way he knew how.

It wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind when he'd returned to the village.

But it was all good.

Iruka was good. Soft and hard and musky, so different from the memories he'd had of the man before.

He'd been too young to understand, but everything was clear now.

He stood up abruptly and swung himself in front of the flushed chuunin, kneeling down. The older man grasped at his arms, feebly trying to push him away, but it was too late; Naruto's lips were already tasting the beads of water on Iruka's chest, his tongue sweeping over the dark, perky nipple, his hand persistently kneading at the twitching erection.

"Naruto!" Iruka protested and buried his hands in that thick, blond hair, but there was nothing he could do when his cock was suddenly engulfed by a greedy mouth, the enthusiastic tongue tracing the slit and whirling around the tip, the sharp, white teeth scraping at the tender flesh, the fingers skimming at his already aching balls.

No one had ever done that to him before.

The embarrassment caused by this fact was soon landslid by the rapidly approaching orgasm that was ruthlessly and almost literally sucked out of him faster than he thought was possible, and then he was coming, his involuntarily thrusting hips nearly making him slip back from the stool, his contracting body held upright only by the strong arm that had been wrapped firmly around his waist.

Trying hard to catch his breath, he watched forlornly as Naruto finally stood up, walked over to one of the cold-water tabs and rinsed his mouth quickly, his evenly tanned skin glowing in the low lit room like tainted marble.

Iruka hid his face in his hands and heard the worried-sounding man return to his side.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. I just - some fresh air - "

"Let's go outside."

The rain season had just come to an end; the air was heavy and the lush garden around the hot springs had turned into an endless jungle of obscure shadows and cicada noise.

They took a seat on a bench at the edge of the pool, Naruto looking genuinely alarmed by the older man's silent demeanor.

"Don't be angry with me," he pleaded, leaning over to see the expression on the chuunin's face.

"I'm not angry with you. I'm just - I just didn't see this coming." Iruka couldn't bear to look his former pupil in the eyes.

Naruto took the older man's hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze. "Neither did I."

"You never lied before."

The uncharacteristic bitterness in the older man's voice made Naruto raise a questioning eyebrow. "I wanted to see you. The rest - "

"I know. I'm sorry."

A finger traced the scar on Iruka's face, then moved down to brush over his lips and chin.

"Naruto… "

The blonde kissed his shoulder, then stood up and walked slowly into the water like an apparition from another world, cool and collected, and Iruka followed him, his head still swimming, his knees still shaky and nearly failing him before he felt Naruto's hand take his own and guide him to the back corner of the onsen.

They sat there, side by side, wordless. The stars were out, the rising full moon like an oversized orange was peeking shyly through the trees, there was some music and a bout of laughter that echoed from a distance, and for a moment Iruka was sure he was drunk, that it was all just a drunken dream. He was relieved by the thought that after what had happened in the showers, Naruto hadn't asked for anything in return, so at least he didn't have to pretend that he knew how to satisfy another man - not that it would've been expected from him anyway.

Even the very idea of kneeling down before the younger man and taking that thick, rowdy cock into his mouth -

Iruka covered his eyes with his hand again and whined.

It was too much. Too much, too sudden.

Nearly an hour later he found himself in the dressing room, waiting patiently for Naruto to get his hair dry and clothes on before they were ready to leave the spa together.

He could've run away from the crime scene, could've gone straight back home and locked the door and put it all behind him.

But he didn't.

Instead, he let his former student walk him through the quiet village to his apartment.

And asked him in.

* * *

"Is this what I think it is?"

Naruto flopped onto Iruka's bed, grabbed a colorful plastic tube from the bedside table, popped it open and took a quick sniff at the substance.

"You really shouldn't go touching other people's stuff like that," Iruka snapped, tossing his vest on a chair and letting his stubbornly wet hair fall to his shoulders again. "And you will not be staying the night."

"I have nowhere else to go. As I said, I'm not even supposed to be here."

"In that case, maybe you shouldn't have come at all."

"Some opportunities just cannot be overlooked when you happen to be in the neighborhood." Naruto smirked. "Or maybe I should ask Kakashi-sensei whether he'd be kind enough to let me sleep in his bed tonight."

Iruka frowned but didn't reply.

"So you _are_ mad at me now, sensei."

"No, I'm not. It's just - everything's off somehow. You appear out of nowhere, you seduce me, you're obviously not the same Naruto I used to know before, and - "

"And it frightens you."

"Yes."

Naruto placed the tube back on the table and stood up, taking off his coat and walking over to the older man before leaning against him slyly and poking his nose at his cheek.

"And what if I told you that during all these years, I never stopped thinking about you. That I never found anyone who could've replaced you."

"You never bothered to keep in touch, though. There were rumors... that you were dead - that the kyuubi had been torn out of you, that you'd actually become a missing-nin, that the Uchiha - "

"Did you have a lover?"

Iruka pulled his head back. "No."

"Why not?"

Silence.

Naruto groaned. "I know there are many who admire and love you here."

"It's different. It has nothing to do with... true affection."

"So you saved it all for me."

"You insolent brat."

"Mind your language, sensei." Naruto's arms locked the older man in place, and his tongue slipped into that unsuspecting mouth, coaxing a muffled 'mmmph' sound out of him. Grinding his hips against Iruka's groin rewarded him yet another 'mmmph' with a hint of desperation to it, and when he finally dug his hands into the chuunin's pants, cupping his buttocks and caressing them, the sound that followed could only be described as a subdued squeak.

It was somewhat crude for a first kiss - Naruto had to admit that to himself afterwards - but he rather enjoyed shocking his former teacher, extracting those long suppressed emotions out of him, shattering his peace of mind and wiping off that sunny smile that had rarely left his face before.

They stumbled over to the bed and fell down, and Naruto studied the older man's countenance carefully before plunging down to kiss him again.

This time Iruka answered, his lips tentative and his tongue evasive and shy, but it was plain delicious, and when Naruto's hand moved down to knead the bulge that was now pressing against his thigh, Iruka moaned into his mouth, writhing.

"This... We can't - "

"Let me turn down the lights."

"Naruto - "

The chuunin could only stare as the younger man pushed himself up from the bed, walked over to the light switches and then returned to Iruka, stopping briefly to yank off the top that had made him look like a big, black tomcat in the moonlight.

The older man swallowed, sat up and took off his own shirt as well, and as soon as he'd dropped it onto the floor, Naruto forced him down onto his back again to taste his neck, his collarbones and finally his mouth, their half-naked bodies pressing tighter together, their hips already thrusting irresolutely against each other.

Pants were soon shed into the darkness, impatient fingers were exploring the newly exposed skin and muscle, and when Naruto finally reached for the lubricant, Iruka chose to turn his back to him, resting on his side, waiting.

The gel was cold; Naruto let it warm up in his hand for a moment while kissing the back of Iruka's neck, and the older man just lay still obediently, breathing steadily and then shivering slightly when Naruto's slick fingers first stroked him, then entered him - two of them, one by one.

"Does it hurt?"

"... No. Not really."

Naruto did his best to interpret the tone of Iruka's voice as he inserted yet another finger and stretched him carefully, and when he felt Iruka's hips nudge subtly against his hand, he pulled his fingers out, applied some of the gel onto himself and moved to lie snugly against Iruka's back before feeling his way to the right spot and thrusting.

The tip of his cock slipped in quite easily, but hearing Iruka gasp, Naruto halted his movement and waited, the tight muscles around him pulsing almost painfully.

"It's... okay - just change the angle - "

Iruka's words were strained, and another gasp escaped his lips when Naruto pulled out a bit and then thrust in again, sliding almost completely inside.

"You sure you don't have a lover?" Naruto breathed in the older man's ear. "This can't be the first time you have something up here."

"Please, don't be cruel."

"Or could it be that there are toys hidden in - "

"Please!"

Naruto chuckled and let his hand drift across the heaving and quivering expanse of Iruka's muscular chest and abdomen. "You're so beautiful, sensei."

The chuunin shook his head against the pillow and whimpered when Naruto enclosed his slightly waned erection in his hand, reviving it swiftly. Another thrust, and Iruka arched his back with a wail, his buttocks pressing against the younger man's groin as if begging for more.

For Naruto, it was too good to be true.

The husky light of the moon that trickled into the room, the hot, velvety flesh that yielded to him so willingly, the kyuubi that purred inside of him, mocking his hunger. But all this was nothing compared to the voice of his former teacher and caretaker, those involuntary moans and muffled cries as he drove in to the hilt over and over again, the lewd sound of the lubricant that glued them together.

And then, way too soon, the spasms, growing in intensity together with the volume of Iruka's incoherent pleading, dampened by the pillows.

"Naru... God - ah!"

Naruto dug his fingers in the older man's waist, and feeling his body contract around him, he growled and slammed in almost violently a couple of more times before his own orgasm swept his frustration and disbelief away, and he throbbed and jerked his climax into the trembling chuunin, his nails scrabbling at his skin, his face nuzzling his hair.

What was he still but a blundering youth, a fumbling novice lost in his dusky emotions towards someone he'd once thought he knew so well?

And yet, the lips that flickered at his mouth before the older man sat up and walked into the bathroom -

He stared into the surrounding semi-darkness for a few minutes before stumbling off the bed as well and joining the flushed Iruka in the cramped shower.

* * *

Naruto wasn't particularly surprised to wake up in the bed alone.

It was already late in the morning, the sun broiling the rusty roofs of the village while some of its rays barely managed to creep in through the single, dusty window of the room.

The pillows, the linen, every single item in the apartment had Iruka's scent inseparably attached to them. It was a comforting scent, filled with memories of peace and quiet and the childlike illusion of utmost safety - no enemies, no duties, no living on the edge all the time.

He sat up, ran his fingers through his messy hair and gathered his clothes from the floor. Like every morning, his cock was alert and ready for action, but this time it was pleasantly sore from the gratifications of the previous night as well.

How ruthless had he been, forcing the older man to have sex twice?

Iruka was probably feeling more or less crippled right now.

And Naruto knew exactly where to find him.

* * *

"No lessons today, sensei? You'd left your chuunin vest behind." Naruto leaned against the memorial and examined its cold surface briefly before kneeling down next to the man who sat in the grass in front of the stone, legs crossed, expressionless.

"You really shouldn't call me 'sensei' anymore. Please, Naruto, just... Iruka will do."

The younger man nodded and laid his hand on Iruka's knee. "You ok?"

"I have been better. And no, there's nothing to apologize for. That's - "

"I'll be back."

"I know."

"I'll be back for you."

Iruka glanced at the blonde who looked so serious now. "I'm getting old. I may not be here for you much longer."

"Nonsense. You're not even fifty yet. You're healthy; I know that and you know that, too. You're just fine. You're not expected to do any missions. You're a respected teacher. And I love you."

It was hard not to believe those bright blue eyes, so convincing, so determined.

Iruka shook his head but couldn't help smiling. "You're a fool, Naruto."

The blonde grabbed the older man by his chin and pressed his lips onto his mouth, devouring him roughly before pulling back slightly and just nibbling at his upper lip playfully.

"I don't care." Naruto's voice was hoarse. "I don't mind being a fool. But I want you to promise that you'll be here when I'll come back. It won't be long. You see, Tsunade-baachan has been tracking me down for the past six months, but there's still something I have to - "

"I know. It's alright. Just don't get killed. I couldn't take that. Especially not now."

"Nothing as dangerous as that, I swear."

Something caught their attention, and they both scanned the thick forest around them nervously until Naruto groaned and stood up, turning away.

"Someone's coming."

Iruka nodded. "I know. You have to go."

One last fleeting brush of fingertips, one more look, and he was gone.

Iruka took a deep breath, bent his head back and closed his eyes.

* * *

"I think I've finally turned into an old geezer," Kakashi said and sat down in the grass by the memorial, next to the pensive chuunin. "I actually saw a ghost. And it was no other than Minato, running through the woods not far from here. He did look a bit older now, though, but I could tell he was still as handsome as ever."

"Maybe you should've tried to approach him, in case he was real," Iruka blurted and scowled at the jounin who stretched out in the sun, yawning.

"Well, in fact I was quite eager to say hello, but as soon as he sensed me following him, he used a reverse summoning and disappeared. I guess he was in a hurry."

"He was."

Kakashi grinned behind his mask. "What was he like? Hadn't changed much, had he?"

"Actually, he had changed quite a bit."

"Hmh. For the better, I hope."

"Definitely for the better."

"He'll be back soon?"

"Pretty soon, I think."

"Good. This village needs him badly." The corner of Kakashi's visible eye wrinkled when his colleague lay down next to him with a pained grunt.

"Mmh."

A brisky breath of wind rustled the leaves of the trees nearby, and the grass rippled around them in waves, whispering.


End file.
